Non-conference record: 20-36
Non-conference record vs. FBS opponents: 16-35
Non-conference record vs. FBS automatic qualifiers: 5-26
C-USA in the polls: AP Writers – East Carolina (ARV); USA Today Coaches – East Carolina (ARV)
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Gator Hoskins – Consider this a very, very, very, very small consolation for Hoskins not being named one of the three finalists for the Mackey Award. Even though he leads all tight ends with 12 touchdowns. And he leads all tight ends in yards per catch. And more than a third of his catches are touchdowns. His three touchdowns against FIU made him the most prolific scoring tight end in Marshall history, and there could be a chance for him to have the last laugh during the NFL Draft.
UTSA – Here’s a head-scratcher for ya: The Roadrunners can still win Conference USA … yet not play in a bowl game. UTSA is still in its reclassifying period so, even though it upset North Texas this past Saturday to remain in the hunt for the C-USA West Division, it’s not eligible for a bowl unless there are no other bowl eligible teams available and bowl slots open. Regardless, the fact that this very young program remains in a division title contender is a testament to the job Coach Larry Coker has done.
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North Texas – It was just days ago that the Mean Green controlled its own destiny in the West. But one loss to UTSA eliminated it from contention. UNT still could finish with eight wins in its inaugural season in Conference USA, but it’s still smarting over what could have been.
FIU’s Press Box – This is more of a personal thing, considering I’m the only one affected. But, look … if you want more exposure as a football program, you need to make it remotely comfortable for the media to do its job. The media contingent for the Marshall-FIU game was crammed with FIU and Marshall staff into a “press box” about a third of the size of Marshall’s. We all sat on a long bench in the front, and if we wanted to leave the room, we had to walk across the seat of the bench – trying not to step on the other reporters – to do it. Meanwhile, the external PA announcer and two spotters shouted play by play at each other the entire game. It wasn’t a press box. It was a migraine factory. The FIU sports information staff did all it could to accommodate us, but it wasn’t given much by FIU’s administration to make it happen. Again, I know none of y’all care. I just needed to vent.
Redd’s C-USA Title Game Prediction That’s Guaranteed to Fail: UTSA at Marshall
Maybe they thought the 80 degree weather was enough. :o) We had a blast down there, in spite of the lack of crowd. FIU’s band is terrific, and its only 1/2 hour from South Beach!